Hannah accepted her words with the best grace she could muster. She knew that she was lucky to still have a job, and if she didn’t go out she might have the opportunity to begin work on the blouse.

‘What was all that writing tha’d done?’ asked Cook as they scrubbed the copper pans and dried them carefully before putting them away on the shelves. ‘I’ve never seen a body so upset about some words before.’

‘It were nowt important,’ Hannah told her.

‘Really? It made Mrs Feilden cross though.’

‘She thinks I should stick to the scriptures, that’s all.’

‘Well, happen she’s right. What’s in the parcel?’

Hannah, relieved that Cook was speaking to her again now that she’d been cleared of stealing the book, explained about the blouse. Cook admired the cotton and said that she could use the kitchen table if she liked. Hannah was grateful because the light was better in here and she would have Cook’s company, even if she did keep asking awkward questions.

She began to quiz her about Mary as Hannah cut out the pieces of the blouse, using the original one as a pattern. She seemed frustrated when Hannah wasn’t forthcoming with the details of that either. She muttered about Jane being better company and how she missed her and Hannah said nothing and tried to imagine what James Hindle was doing. Had he gone to the meeting hoping that she’d be there?

‘I think I’ll come with thee to the meeting,’ said Jennet to Titus as she cleared away the tea things. ‘Molly’ll look in on the girls and we won’t be late. It’ll give me chance to visit Mary again.’

‘All right,’ he said as he settled his cap on to his head. ‘Get a move on though, if tha wants to walk down with me.’

Jennet pulled her shawl around her head and shouted upstairs to Peggy and Bessie that she wouldn’t be long and to knock on the wall for Molly if they needed anything.

They made their way down Shorrock Fold and as they approached the Star, Jennet saw Mr Starkie come out of his shop with a woman. She was dressed up to the nines and giggling as if she’d been at the gin.

‘That’s Alice as used to work here,’ Titus told her. ‘Looks like Starkie’s taken up with her again now that Mary’s poorly.’

Mr Starkie nodded a greeting to them as he passed and the woman stared insolently at Jennet, obviously sneering at her working dress and clogs. Jennet ignored her, but it sowed a doubt in her mind. Earlier she’d thought that it was Mr Starkie who had paid for Dr Barlow, but now she wasn’t so sure. She wondered who the man was who’d come in to enquire about Mary earlier. If she saw him here tonight, she’d ask Titus if he knew him.

They stepped into the noise and smoke of the parlour. Titus found them stools to sit down and ordered some beer. There was a strange mix of men and women waiting for the meeting to begin. Some were just ordinary working folk like themselves, but there were other men who looked more well-to-do. Titus said that they were the ones whose rent wasn’t much short of the ten pounds that would have got them the vote and they thought they were entitled to have their say as well and wanted the threshold to be lowered.